Buckle.



E. N. HUMPHREY.

BUCKLE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1913.

Patented July 14, 19m

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Specification of Letters Patent.

BUCKLE.

Patented July 14,1914.

Application filed September'20, 1913; Serial No. 790,829.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST N. HUM- PHREY, a citizen of the'United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a full', clear, and exact description.

'Myinvention relates to improvements 1n so-called box buckles, the object being to provide a very simple yet effective tongueless buckle of box format-ion, which may be used with a plain unperforated belt and may owerfully engage the belt without injury tiiereto, said buckle being very simple 1n form and durable in construction, and being provided with an improved fastener which permits one end of the belt to be very powerfully yet detachably connected to the buckle frame.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a relatively enlarged front view of my improved, buckle as it would appear in operation. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the buckle with the clamping plate, lever top and straps detached therefrom. Fig. 4 shows two views, an end elevation and a fragmentary top plan of the clamping lever. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the clamping plate. Fig. 6 1s a top plan view, partly broken away, of the strap end fastener carried by the buckle. Fig. 7 1s a view in end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

1 is the base or frame, with the to and bottom edges turned up as at 2--3 to orm. a channel between them and to incidentally form reinforcing flanges to prevent the bottom from bending or buckling.

4. is a permanent top which extends from one end of the buckle to a point close to the middle and bridging the space between the two arched side flanges 2-3, incidentally formin a slotted belt passage at the front end of t e buckle to admit the belt 7.

5 is a clamping plate having the oppositepivot lugs 6-6 at one end, whichlugs extend into hearings or perforations, in the side flanges 23, said perforations or bearings being located at an elevation just suflicient to clear the running end of the strap which asses thereunder. The clamping plate. 5 is operated by means of a cam lever 8, which is provided with opposite bearing lugs 8--8 at one end, which bearing lugs areseat'ed'in suitable bearings orpe'rforations in the opposite flanges 2-3 approximately midway in the len' th of the buckle and close to the adjacent e ge of the permanent top 4. The lever 8 is contoured to correspond withthe permanent top'e, so that: when it is turned down into the operative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the face of the buckle will be uniform and-graceful in appearance. The cam portion of lever 8 is indicated at 9, and projects inwardly or toward the clamping plate 5, so that it will engage with the latter and force its free end downinto broad frictional clamping engagement with the running end of the belt. The other end of the belt may be attached to the base plate 1 ofthe buckle in any suitable manner, but preferably by means of a special metallic clamp, which is preferably hinged to the rear end of the plate 1. The clamp includes the base plate 10 and the tongue 11. The base plate has upturned teeth 12, the tongue having downturned teeth 13 arranged to engage in the fixed or anchored end of the belt 7 These gripping 'teeth are preferably arranged somewhat out of line, as shown, so that they will engage the fixed end of the belt at different points above and below. The base plate 10 and the tongue 11 when forced into tight gripping engagement with the anchored end of the belt 7, are held in that pov sition preferably by U-shaped retainmg clips 14, which are pivoted to the base 10 at the points 15 in such a manner that they may be swung into or out of the holding position. By this simple means the anchored belt end may beeasily attached or detached and the belt may be readily shortened (if too long for any particularwearer) by simplyfldetaching the anchored end and cutting ofi the superfluous length, whereupon the thus shortened belt may be re-inserted in the clamping means and quickly and easily attached for operation. I

It will be observed that the arching of the flanges furnishes more space at a point intermediate the length of the buckle than at the ends, the end space being merely Suficient to permit the bolt to pass freely but not loosely. therethrough, the middle portion affording room enough for the employment of the clamping plate within the buckle and also room enough for the cam .to act The finished buckle possesses a very attraetive appearance, the fixed part of the to or cover and the swinging part (the lever? correspondin in design and substantially in area, so t at both ends of the box will have a uniform appearance when the buckle is closed and in operativeposition. What I claim is? A buckle comprising a box-like structure including a bottom having-upturned flanges "at the upper and lower edge, with a fixed top extending from the front end back to approximately the middle and supported on said flanges and spaced from said bottom plate to aiforda belt passage, a lever hinged adjacent one end to said flanges adjacent the middle of the box structure and closely fi e 1,108,588

adjacent to the fixed top, said lever comprishaving a substantially uniformflat under face of substantial area for engagement with a strap and said lever cam being arranged to engage the upper face of said plate to move the latter down toward the strap.

ERNEST N. HUMPHREY.

Witnesses:

F. L. TRAUT, STANLEY PARKER. 

